Understanding Critical

Lenses Through Storybooks

Objective: Understand how viewing a text through various critical lenses

(historic, feminist, marxist, race/ethnicity), can alter the interpretation. Make
claims which connect both the lens, as well as the message.

As we move through this activity, utilize the lens slide deck for helpful definitions
and questions.

Part 1 – The Giving Tree:

What claims can we make about this text based on a particular lens?

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, when read through [marxist lens], reveals
how money corrupts the boy as he gets older.

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, when read through [feminist lens], reveals
how the boy is taking advantage of her (the tree) and takes everything from her
until there's nothing left

Part 2 – Choice Text:

● Read the text
Which text are you using?

The lion king

Which lens(es) can you use in reading the text?

Marxist lens

What claims can you make about this text based on a particular lens?

The Lion King, when read through [marxist lens], reveals how scars need for
power causes him to kill his brother and take over the lion pride from his family.
Select one of the claims above, and develop it in a short formal paragraph. You
can use the example from the slide deck as a model.

The Lion King, when read through a marxist lens, reveals how scars need for
power causes him to kill his brother and take over the lion pride from his family.
For example, when Scar tricks Simba into entering a gorge causing Mufasa to
save him, and then die, he shows that he thinks taking over his brother's role
as king of the pride is more important to him than his brother or nephews life.

Part 3 – Cross unit connections:

Think back to the last unit (Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet). Which
critical lenses could we use to analyze the novel? What claims could we make?

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, when read through a historical lens,
reveals how Henry's upbringing in Seattle as a Chinese American during WWII
affects his personality and why he acts the way he does when he's older.